Security

7/10/2013

An insurance company currently providing coverage for the vast majority of Kansas school districts is refusing to renew coverage for schools permitting teachers and custodians to carry concealed firearms.

7/9/2013

Bullying reports have gone down since the Sioux Falls School District implemented a bully prevention model two years ago, but the program has not yet fulfilled its promise of empowering students to stick up for their peers, school officials say.

7/8/2013

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy, which has 10 schools in Connecticut, has come under scrutiny with the recent release of state reports that show that most of its schools have among the highest suspension and expulsion rates in the state, even for children in kindergarten and first grade.

Richard Byrne discusses social media strategies for leaders of schools and organizations. Learn what happens when someone Googles your organization. Find out how Google Alerts can keep you informed about what is being said about your district.

6/28/2013

Facing criticism from parents worried about their children traveling through dangerous neighborhoods to new schools, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel staked out a get-tough stance Wednesday proposing stiffer penalties for gun crimes near schools.

About 75 educators attended a safety drill this week, where Limerick Township (Pa.) Police Chief Bill Albany and Upper Providence (Pa.) Sgt. Rob Solorio gave a presentation about school shootings, answered questions (Is it better to shelter in place or run?), and dispelled some outdated notions about safety ("A cafeteria table is not cover.")

A New Jersey school district is proposing random alcohol and drug testing for thousands of high school students who could lose school privileges and be forced to undergo counseling if they test positive.

6/24/2013

Peer mediation is used at Ypsilanti High School (Ypsilanti, Mich.) as a prevention tactic to stop conflicts before they get too serious. The "conflict-resolution room" is quiet and sparse — just a small couch, some chairs and a plant. For decoration there are a few homemade posters with drawings of shooting stars and signs with slogans like "Together we can!" and "Think before you speak."

6/20/2013

But many parents were unaware of the lockdown and of a manhunt launched by authorities. Text and email alerts were sent, but most parents of the district’s 5,000 students were not signed up to receive them.

6/19/2013

Parents in the Polk County (Fla.) district received a letter stating a pilot program would track bus riders using each child’s iris. Parents could opt out, but by the time they learned about the program, the company charged with gathering the information had already captured images of about 750 children’s eyes.

A computerized emergency system from CopSync lets teachers and administrators alert police and other emergency responders to a crisis without waiting to go through a dispatch center. The instant message can display room numbers on a school map and the teacher assigned to that room.